SoFi Stadium workers are contemplating a strike due to concerns over the possible presence of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the venue during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Around 2000 hospitality workers at the venue, represented by the labor union UNITE HERE Local 11, have called for assurances that ICE officers would be absent during games scheduled between June and July.
SoFi Stadium, which will stage 8 World Cup games, including the United States’ first match of the tournament, has become the location of increasing controversy leading up to the event.
Protestors outside the stadium explained how the presence of ICE agents would incite fears among both employees and match attendees.
A stadium cook, Isaac Martinez, has said that workers are willing to take industrial action in the absence of an agreement.
“Ice has no place in these games”, Martinez said while protesting. “We don’t want to feel scared coming to work or scared about being taken in on the way home”.
Workers are also anxious about FIFA’s accreditation procedure; they are afraid that personal data provided for stadium access might be shared with ICE officers.
Support has also been garnered from a California politician, Tom Steyer, who questioned the relevance of enforcing immigration at a global sports competition.
